The Voyager, Point Pleasant NJ, had Cod catches to 25 pounds and Pollock to 20 pounds this past week. Call 732-295-3019 to reserve a spot.

Wicked winds have kept a lot of vessels at port lately, but when the conditions allow, there is some excellent blackfishing to be had. As a reminder, the bag limit for blackfish drops to a four-fish limit as of Friday, but that’s still plenty to bring home to put on the grill. Striped bass seemed to have disappeared like ghosts since the big blizzard, but reports north of Brigantine and Long Beach Island continue to talk about sporadic shots of stripers up to 20 pounds, which means the run is not yet fully done. Those bass should make their presence known along the South Jersey coast this weekend. However, after that, they could be gone for good until spring, so get out this weekend if you have the opportunity.

“The striped bass have been quiet since the last big blow,” said Dave Showell of the Absecon Bay Sportsman, Absecon. “There’s probably still bass around, we just have to get a window to fish for them, which should be this weekend.” Anglers should try jigging thin profile metal lures such as Deadly Dicks or Ava 27’s at spots as the Sea Isle Lump and Peacock Shoals to find bass. If you want to fill the frying pan right now, go and hit the Mullica and Tuckahoe rivers for white perch. Showell says, “Guys are playing with white perch all day long using grass shrimp and minnows. There seems to be a lot of them around right now which is a good thing, since we can’t fish for sea bass.”

Blackfishing remains top priority for anglers off of Ocean City according to Bill Nickerson of Fin-Atics, Ocean City. ” The tautog seem to be moving outward now that the water temps have dropped. The further reef sites at Great Egg and Atlantic City are holding tog better now, with the 75 to 95 foot range holding the most fish. Remember, January was when the world record tautog was caught in 1998, and this is when the biggest tog of the year are caught.” Nickerson believes striped bass are still hanging around the warm water outflows at Beesleys point, but there haven’t been enough anglers out to prove the theory. Most bass in the warm water will be shorts, but no doubt there will be some keeps still hanging around for anglers working small 3-inch Storm shads and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow plugs. Fin-Atics will be open on weekends into January, and will have limited hours during the week, so its best to call ahead at 609-398-2248 if you plan on fishing during weekdays.

Captain Sam Rescigno of the Mary M III, (609-619-1962) is still running out of Cape May through the month of January, and only got out on Wednesday this week due to inclement weather conditions, but that day was a stunning success. “We didn’t beat ‘em up, but most everybody went home with 3 to 6 keeper tog, with a lot of throwback fish.”

Though it may be an hour’s drive north for most South Jersey anglers, a real fine bet to load up a cooler full of fillets is to head up to Point Pleasant and to jump on a party boat to have at winter cod, ling and Pollock. I met Captain John Chiavarrini of the Voyager, Point Pleasant (732-295-3019) at the docks on Wednesday night and his fares had cod to 25 pounds, Pollock to 20 pounds and a mess of ling up to 4 pounds as they plied the 20 to 35 mile wrecks.Whatever you do, know that saltwater fishing is nowhere near over when the snow starts falling. You may have to drive a little bit to get on a boat, but it is so worth it.

About Nick Honachefsky

Nick Honachefsky is an international fishing and travel writer. He has fished in over 20 countries around the world, swam with live sailfish, wrestled a 150-pound blue shark in open water and currently is IGFA World Record holder for the bergall - a "trash fish". He also regularly contributes to Saltwater Sportsman, Sport Fishing, ESPN.com.

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New Jersey’s Fishing Think Tank

About the Authors

Adam Monacelli
Adam is an avid fresh and saltwater angler who fishes from Key West to Martha's Vineyard but can usually be found stalking stripers along the Jersey coast. He lives in Hammonton, NJ with his wife and two sons. E-mail Adam
or follow him on Twitter at @cp_AdamM

Nick Honachefsky
Nick is an international fishing and travel writer. He has fished in over 20 countries, swam with live sailfish, wrestled a 150-pound blue shark in open water and has held the post as managing editor of Salt Water Sportsman magazine. He also regularly contributes to Sport Fishing, ESPN.com and Marlin. E-mail Nick

Adam Mihara
Adam is a freshwater specialist with a vast knowledge of everything from live bait fishing to fly fishing. He tournament fishes for bass in the mid-Atlantic region and is always willing to help a fellow angler whether it's getting started or discussing advanced techniques. He is currently sponsored by Alluring Baits. E-mail Adam

Dean Payne
Dean is a longtime outdoor writer with a true passion for hunting & fishing in the tri-state area. He offers Fishheaders a national perspective on the outdoors as well as his favored morsels of fish & wildlife wackiness. E-mail Dean